Cambodian FM keen on increased ties with Vietnam

Hanoi (VNA) – Cambodian Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhon pledged to further strengthen cooperation between the two foreign ministries during his talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh in Hanoi on June 22.

The talks were part of the official visit of the Cambodian minister to Vietnam from June 21-23 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

The two foreign ministers shared the view that the recent State to Cambodia by President Tran Dai Quang has contributed to strengthening and lifting the bilateral relationship to a new height.

They agreed to coordinate closely to make thorough preparations for visits by the two countries’ leaders and continued exchange of visits in the foreseeable future.

As 2017 marks the 50 th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, both sides vowed to work closely with ministries, agencies and localities to hold celebrations.

Host and guest expressed their delight at the rapid and effective development of bilateral links across the fields from politics-diplomacy and national defence-security to economy, trade and investment, as well as the effective operation of cooperation mechanisms, including the 14 th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Committee on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

They hailed the two countries’ agencies for overcoming difficulties to accelerate the progress of planting border markers, adding that the work should be completed as soon as possible to build a borderline of peace, friendship, sustainable cooperation and development.

Deputy PM Minh asked Cambodia to provide all possible support for Vietnamese nationals living in the country, contributing to reinforcing the traditional neighbourly friendship between the two countries.

He also suggested the Cambodian Foreign Ministry offer more favourable policies to Vietnamese investors in Cambodia, including granting certificates of land use and concluding negotiations on the double taxation avoidance agreement, toward lifting two-way trade to 5 billion USD.

The two sides agreed to maintain close cooperation and coordination of viewpoints at regional and global forums, while increasing collaboration with other ASEAN member states to consolidate ASEAN’s solidarity, unity and central role, for the sake of peace, security, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

On the East Sea issue, the two sides shared the view that disputes should be solved by peaceful means without using or threatening to use force in line with widely-accepted principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), while abiding to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and working towards the early formulation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Both sides also committed to continue working closely together and with other members of the International Mekong River Commission to ensure the sustainable management and use of Mekong River water resources and promote Mekong – Lancang cooperation.-VNA